Washington, Nov. 6 (CNA) Typical Taiwanese street foods such as "gua bao" (刈包) and "yan su ji" (鹽酥雞) were a big hit at an Asian food pop-up night market outside the Capitol Building in Washington on Saturday that drew large crowds.
People began lining up outside the venue four hours before the market opened at 4 p.m. Saturday, and long lines formed at stands serving such Asian street food treats as "gua bao" (pork belly buns), "lu rou fan" (braised minced pork on rice 滷肉飯), Thai satays, and Japanese taiyaki (fish-shaped cakes).
The gua bao stand was set up by 25-year-old Taiwanese-American Kevin Hsieh (謝鎬伩), who opened a store selling gua bao and lu rou fan two years ago because of his passion for Taiwanese cuisine.
Gua bao are typically made of braised pork belly served in a steamed bun, and Hsieh told CNA that the buns at his stand were all handmade to get the best texture.
Business was brisk, with the 1,200 gua bao Hsieh and his father prepared for the night market and going for US$7 a piece expected to sell out in 5 hours.
"Ho Chia," meaning delicious in Taiwanese, was heard among Hsieh's customers, where one could get the traditional gua bao, but also less common vegetarian gua bao made with tofu, or buns wrapping fried chicken or beef.
At least 55 stands selling Asian foods took part in the market initiated by local arts organizations to support Asian restaurants in the Greater Washington D.C. area that were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year.
Admission was free but visitors needed to display a certificate showing they were fully vaccinated or proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours before the visit.
The organizers said they plan to hold the "red-eye night market" every year to share the culture of Asian cuisine and its wide variety of flavors with people living in the United States capital.
